Review: ‘The Cuckoo Wood’, by M. Sean Coleman

The Cuckoo Wood

 

Published by: Red Dog

Publication Date: 25th July 2018

I.S.B.N.: 9781916426214

Format: Paperback

Price: £8.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase Links

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuckoo-Wood-Alex-Ripley-Mystery/dp/1916426212

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoo-Wood-Alex-Ripley-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07FWGJDHR

Direct from Red Dog Press – https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/shop

Blurb

A THRILLING, MELODICALLY CREEPY MYSTERY.

Samantha Jaynes took her life in the cold lake. Now Rosie Trimble has done the same. Both claimed they had seen an angel. And they’re not the only ones.

A spate of teenage suicides rattles the rural community of Kirkdale, in England’s Lake District. Before they died, each of the girls talked about seeing an angel. Is this collective hallucination, or is something more sinister leading these young girls to their deaths?

That’s a question for Dr Alex Ripley, the so-called Miracle Detective. Brought in to help the police, she finds a community rooted in fear and suspicion, bound by their strange faith, unwilling to help, unable to forgive.

Because the people of Kirkdale have buried their dark past once, and they’re not about to let Ripley dig it up again.

The Cuckoo Wood is the first Alex Ripley Mystery

Continue reading “Review: ‘The Cuckoo Wood’, by M. Sean Coleman”

November Bonus Review #2: ‘The Real Guy Fawkes’, by Nick Holland

The Real Guy FawkesPublished By: Pen and Sword

Publication Date: 9th October 2017

ISBN: 9781526705082

Format: Hardback

Price: £19.99

Purchase link

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Guy Fawkes, born in York in 1570, is one of the key figures in British history, taking a central role in a plot that would have destroyed the ruling class and changed the nation forever. Today protesters wear his mask, families burn his effigy, and he is an instantly recognisable name and face. But just who was the real Guy Fawkes? In this new book, we take an exciting look at the flesh and blood person behind the myth. We find out what radicalised the man who was born a Protestant, and yet planned mass murder for the Catholic cause. The book takes a fresh look at Guy’s early life in York and beyond, and examines how that led to him becoming a Catholic mercenary and a key member of the 1605 Gunpowder treason.

This fresh new biography of Guy’s life removes the layers of complexity that can cloud the British history of this time: an era when fearful Catholics hid in tiny priest holes, government spies were everywhere, and even your closest friends could send you to be hung, drawn and quartered. Guy and his conspirators were prepared to risk everything and endanger everyone, but were they fanatics, freedom fighters, or fools? This explosive read, accompanied with beautiful illustrations, is accessible and engaging, combining contemporary accounts with modern analysis to reveal new motivations behind Guy’s actions.

Continue reading “November Bonus Review #2: ‘The Real Guy Fawkes’, by Nick Holland”

Review: ‘Bertie The Buffalo’, by Wendy H. Jones

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Published By: Sarah Grace Publishing

Publication Date: 30th November 2018

Format: Paperback 

Price: £7.99

I.S.B.N.: 9781910786529

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Bertie the Buffalo is based on a true story of when a Water Buffalo escaped from a Buffalo Park in Fife, near Dundee, Scotland. A rhyming book about the adventures Bertie got up to and how he safely returned home, demonstrating how important each of us is no matter how insignificant we feel. Bertie felt that no one noticed him. But he didn’t need to think that as we are all special. We are all a part of one big family.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2Phntyv

Continue reading “Review: ‘Bertie The Buffalo’, by Wendy H. Jones”

First Bonus Review of November: ‘The Murder That Defeated Whitechapel’s Sherlock Holmes: At Mrs Ridgley’s Corner’, by Paul Stickler

The Murder that Defeated Whitechapel's Sherlock HolmesPublished By: Pend and Sword

Publication Date: 16th April 2018

ISBN: 9781526733856

Format: Paperback

Price: £14.99 

Purchase link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

In 1919, when a shopkeeper and her dog were found dead in Hitchin, Hertfordshire with brutal head injuries, there followed an extraordinary catalogue of events and a local police investigation which concluded that both had died as a result of a tragic accident. A second investigation by Scotland Yard led to the arrest of an Irish war veteran, but the outcome was far from conclusive.

Written from the perspective of the main characters involved and drawing on original and newly-discovered material, this book exposes the frailties of county policing just after the First World War and how it led to fundamental changes in methods of murder investigations.

Offering a unique balance of story-telling and analysis, the book raises a number of unanswered questions. These are dealt with in the final chapter by the author’s commentary drawing upon his expertise.

Continue reading “First Bonus Review of November: ‘The Murder That Defeated Whitechapel’s Sherlock Holmes: At Mrs Ridgley’s Corner’, by Paul Stickler”

Review: ‘Nessie’s Husband’, by Sibel Beadle

Nessie's Husband

Publication Date: 31st October 2018

Published By: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd

Format: Picture Book

I.S.B.N.: 9781786233394

Price: £6.99

 

 

 

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchy-Travel-Tales-Nessies-Husband/dp/1786233398/

Blurb

Miranda’s daughter, Mimi, is half-cat half-human. Mimi wants to become invisible and hopes that Nessie can teach her how to become invisible and hide from her classmates. The story takes, Mimi accompanied by her witch mother and sisters, to a magical trip across Scotland where the family ends up rediscovering themselves and finding Nessie’s husband.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Nessie’s Husband’, by Sibel Beadle”

Review: ‘Reprobation’, by Catherine Fearns

Reprobation Cover

Blurb

Are you one of the elect?

Dr. Helen Hope is a lecturer in eschatology – the study of death, judgement, and the destiny of humankind. She is also a Calvinist nun, her life devoted to atoning for a secret crime.

When a body is found crucified on a Liverpool beach, she forms an unlikely alliance with suspect Mikko Kristensen, lead guitarist in death metal band Total Depravity. Together, they go on the trail of a rogue geneticist who they believe holds the key – not just to the murder, but to something much darker.

Also on the trail is cynical Scouse detective Darren Swift. In his first murder case, he must confront his own lack of faith as a series of horrific crimes drag the city of two cathedrals to the gates of hell.

Science meets religious belief in this gripping murder mystery.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Reprobation’, by Catherine Fearns”

Book Spotlight: ‘Jackson Saves An Owl’, by Darren Garwood and Carl Osbourne

Today I’d like to share with you a book that Faye Rogers (who usually contacts me about Clink Street books, but this is one of her independent PR jobs) told me about. I haven’t got time this month to review it, unfortunately, but I thought I’d share it with you all. As you can see, I’m part of a blog tour with several other bookbloggers sharing this book. Most of them will have reviews if you’d like to see what they think.

 

Jackson Saves an Owl

Information about the book

Title: Jackson Saves an Owl

Author:  Darren Garwood

Illustrator: Carl Osborne

Release Date: 1st September 2018

Genre: Picture Book

Publisher: Untold Books

Summary:

Jackson Superhero might not be a real name, but it is a story about a real boy, and as the name suggests, Jackson is far from ordinary. By day, a rare disease limits his ability to move freely, but at night he is far from grounded. When the sleeping hours come around, and weightlessness takes over, Jackson takes to the skies. He knows what it means to need the support of others, which is why when he hears a call for help, he is quickly there to lend a hand.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42141736-jackson-saves-an-owl

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jackson-Saves-Owl-Superhero/dp/8799506262/

 

Author Information

Darren Garwood is the father of Jackson, a real boy living with a rare and terminal illness called Krabbe disease. Darren came up with the Jackson Superhero series because as Jackson can’t move during the day, Darren wanted to help him dream at night, when he was free to be anything he wanted to be. Jackson Saves an owl is written in lively, fantastic rhyme, and is the first in the Jackson Superhero series.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacksons_smile

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacksongarwoodsmile

 

Review: ‘Sex Drive’, by Stephanie Theobald

Sex Drive CoverPublication Date: 18th October 2018

Published by: Unbound

I.S.B.N.: 978-1-78352-681-9

Format: Hardback

Price: £16.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Arriving in New York with a failing relationship and a body she felt out of touch with, Stephanie Theobald set off on a 3,497 mile trip across America to re-build her orgasm from the ground up. What started as a quest for the ultimate auto-erotic experience became a fantastic voyage into her own body.

She takes us from ‘body sex’ classes with the legendary feminist Betty Dodson to an interview with the former US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who was fired for suggesting that masturbation should be talked about in schools. Along the way, we are immersed in a weird, countercultural America of marijuana farms and ‘ecosexual sexologists’.

Sex Drive is a memoir about desire and pleasure, merging sexuality and spirituality,
eighteenth-century porn and enlightenment philosophy. A new sexual revolution has begun – and this time round, it’s all about the women.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Sex Drive’, by Stephanie Theobald”

Review: ‘Redneck’s Revenge’, by Joan Livingston

Rednecks Revenge hi res

Published By: CreateSpace

Publication Date: 31st July 2018

I.S.B.N.: 978-1724560483

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Price: £1.99 (Kindle), £6.99 (Paperback)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Her next case. She’s in it for good.

Isabel Long is in a funk months after solving her first case. Her relationship with the Rooster Bar’s owner is over. Then the cops say she must work for a licensed P.I. before working solo.

Encouraged by her ‘Watson’ — her 92-year-old mother  — Isabel snaps out of it by hooking up with a P.I. and finding a new case.

The official ruling is Chet Waters, an ornery so-and-so, was passed out when his house caught fire. His daughter, who inherited the junkyard, believes he was murdered. Topping the list of suspects are dangerous drug-dealing brothers, a rival junkyard owner, and an ex-husband.

Could the man’s death simply be a case of redneck’s revenge? Isabel is about to find out.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Redneck’s Revenge’, by Joan Livingston”

Book Review: ‘Spectrum Women’, edited by Barb Cook and Dr. Michelle Garnett

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Publication Date: August 21st 2018 
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISBN: 9781785924347
Format: Paperback
Price: £13.16 (amazon.co.uk)

Blurb

Barb Cook and 14 other autistic women describe life from a female autistic perspective, and present empowering, helpful and supportive insights from their personal experience for fellow autistic women. Michelle Garnett’s comments validate and expand the experiences described from a clinician’s perspective, and provide extensive recommendations.

Autistic advocates including Liane Holliday Willey, Anita Lesko, Jeanette Purkis, Artemisia and Samantha Craft offer their personal guidance on significant issues that particularly affect women, as well as those that are more general to autism. Contributors cover issues including growing up, identity, diversity, parenting, independence and self-care amongst many others. With great contributions from exceptional women, this is a truly well-rounded collection of knowledge and sage advice for any woman with autism.

My Review

I think I’m slightly in love with this book. I treat myself to it in August, a few days after publication and read it swiftly. I’ve been keeping it to myself ever since (except to review on Good Reads) because I’m selfish and it is fantastic! I keep meaning to lend it to my sisters to try to help them understand, but it’s not leaving my house, sorry. It’s too insightful and useful.

This book is a gripping insight into being a woman on the spectrum, as well as excellent advice for women on the spectrum. I found some of the chapters more helpful than others, from a personal point of view, but I think it’ll be useful to any woman or girl on the spectrum, to understand themself and some direction in the world around them.

If you’re an autistic woman, or parenting an autistic girl, go and read this book!